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First real "jam"
- Thread starter zenbanshee
- Start date
Haji
Supporting Member
I picked up my first bass about 7 years ago and I've been taking lessons for the past 4 years, but I've never been in a band and I've never really played with a group before.
I found a group of older guys on Craigslist (back in November) looking for a bass player for some low-key jams and sent them a note. I wasn't able to make their first get-together in November, but they sent me another note this week and I told them I'd be able to make it.
There were three guitarists and a drummer. The drummer and two of the guitarists are in their early fifties (they traded off vocal duties) and the other guitarist is probably mid to late thirties (I'm 33). Both older guitarists have played bass in bands before.
Basically I showed up, we did a quick intro, plugged in and off we went. I play enough guitar to recognize the chords and I just plugged away at root notes. We played some pretty easy chord progressions (two or three chords for the most part). Before I knew it, we'd been playing for two hours. Man, that felt great. Well, aside from my fingers and my shoulder . . .
We took a little break and one of the guitarists told me I should turn the bass up a bit (I thought that never happened?). A handful of songs later and we were all packing up. They told me I did a great job and they want me to come back again.
Very happy for you. Hope to be in the same place in a couple of years.
You shouldn't wait years for your first jam. Months maybe but the sooner the better! You learn a lot from others or even just playing with others.
Thank you
I practice 1.5 to 2 hours per day, 5 times per week . . . no BS
I am humbled by your comments
I am not and will never be a musician . . . I am at best a technician, and not a good one
I love music and I love being part of it
I played a mean saxophone but at 65 I no longer can
I took up the bass 2 years ago and to be honest I am like someone who has played for 3 months at most
At 65 I am happy to spend hours Every week in a very nice music room at home
I have taken many lessons and I continue to do so
I am a blue collar guy working in a white collar world . . . Not smart enough to be able to retire . . . I have to keep working
My music love is the blues and classic rock . . . And much more
Again thanks for your comments, I am humbled
Take my word for it - you don't have to become as good as you think you should just to tinker with a friend or two. There's nothing forcing you into a gigging live band either. If you know a guitarist, have him over and improvise something together. No pressure. You will find in 10 minutes that you're better than you think you are, and hearing yourself in that context is an amazing motivator to continue practicing. I always found that you also learn (even if you don't realize it) because even if they play a part YOU just came up with, they may not play it the same way, or they change the rhythm of it, etc... which gets you thinking differently and therefore improves your capacity and understanding.
Expect a full gig report. I'm planning on video. I'm sure that I'm my own worst critic, but videos of my playing will have to meet my quality standards.
Also, as far as playing with others -- you'll know when you are ready and you will be glad once you do it. I still feel like an idiot every time the guys rip into a new song and it takes me a while to catch up, but I'm pretty good at hearing my mistakes and by the second or third loop through the song I've at least got all the chord changes down.
Also, as far as playing with others -- you'll know when you are ready and you will be glad once you do it. I still feel like an idiot every time the guys rip into a new song and it takes me a while to catch up, but I'm pretty good at hearing my mistakes and by the second or third loop through the song I've at least got all the chord changes down.
Haji
Supporting Member
Seems to me its one of those things that the more you do it, the faster you pick stuff up. As you gain experience, you get better at picking things up. Six practices from now, you'll look back on where you were now and see where you've gotten better.
